Newt Gingrich et al thought they had a GOP permanent majority, then Clinton and the Democratic Party burned their house to the ground.
Well, Gingrich ended up being his own worst enemy in the end..however, the seed was a planted. His time in the House oversaw the slow, downhill ride into crazy that the Republican party turned into.
Steadfastly clinging to their iteration of "conservatism", Gingrich and his clan paved the way for Hastert, Boehner, and finally, the cancer known as McConnell. The politics of compromise..gone. The
politics of civility..gone. Getting ANYTHING accomplished..gone.
Until Joe Biden comes along with a slim majority in both chambers..and finally, Republicans..have no answer.
But, that's about par for the course for them. They've had no answer since the night Reagan was elected.